


Two-Thousand On Thermometers

by Lyra_Dhani



Category: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character and relationship will be added, Gen, Miles Morales Needs a Hug, One Shot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 15:32:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18034370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyra_Dhani/pseuds/Lyra_Dhani
Summary: Strangely enough, Miles was more afraid of his invisibility power going out of control than falling from the top of Stark’s Tower. He could feel it. It was if his entire existence was invisible to the world too.





	Two-Thousand On Thermometers

At first, it wasn’t very alarming. Miles was talking to a shaken-up victim when the poor girl suddenly looked around, frowning with confusion and absolute fear.

Now that he had saved a lot of people he could tell people’s emotion and responded accordingly. This girl whose age couldn’t be that much far behind his own suddenly trembled, her eyes moving wildly, searching up something. It was the fear of being left behind.

At first, Miles was hit with great anxiety. _What if there was someone else he actually had left behind-_

But then the girl called him, “Spider-Man, where are you?”

“I am right here,” Miles said, still in a state of anxiety and great confusion.

The girl started to cry again, well, more like bawling her eyes out, and it took Miles great difficulty to finally catch what she was trying to say, “ _Where_?”

That was when it suddenly hit him. No, _stupid Miles_ , it actually took one minutes of silence for him during which the girl histerically called his names. When it did dawned on him, he looked down to his now-literally transparent shoes.

“Oh. Um, this happens sometimes.”

It didn’t calm the girl down, and at this point Miles wanted to cry too (He was three months on the job, there was always someone else doing the conforting. He could disarm an adult twice his height but totally had no clue how to deal with this kind of situation.)

Thankfully, he could hear the police sirens, which was his cue to leave.

He concentrated, thinking about his favorite food, singing loud in his head, Gwen’s soft word when she had said the word _Friend_. Then he looked down again. Yup, still invisible.

“Don’t worry, I am right here. I’ll guard you by your side until the police came.”

Shockingly enough, he managed to sound calm and collected. This girl stared at the space in front of her, where Miles was still standing _by her side_ , and her hand reached out toward him. Miles clasped it, a confirmation that he hadn’t actually disappeared.

When the police came (Miles almost screamed out loud _Finally_ ), the girl didn’t cry anymore.

It was all good, everything had been taken care of, and within five minutes since the girl got safely carried away by the police, she made a post of how Spider-Man had saved her life in internet which quickly went viral in seconds (Typical teenagers).

She didn’t mention how her superhero had embrassingly lost control of his power. Perhaps, she just hadn’t fully proceeded what had happened.

A hours after that, Miles was still pretty much invisible, with the voice of the girl histerically calling his name, her hero that suddenly disappeared in front of her when she needed her presence the most, was still replaying in his mind.

He decided to just _screw it_ , and went back to Visions, his shadow following but people _still couldn’t see_.

(It wasn’t very alarming, but there was siren ringing in his head. The idea that he might _actually_ disappear suddenly passed his mind. He thought nothing of it, blaming the police siren feeding weird paranoia to his mind.)

 

.

.

 

(Except, it happened again, and lasted longer than before. He dismissed it but he started to feel afraid.)

 

.

.

 

The fourth time it happened and lasted for half a day, Miles wasn’t the only one who become concerned.

“What happened?” Ganke raised an eyebrow as soon as Miles walked into the room, his laptop playing the video of him disappearing in front of an entire crowd after another rescue.

“It’s fine,” was all he could offer.

Ganke was smart, just like every other students who made it into Visions. He didn’t buy it.

(Neither was Miles).

He crossed his arm, waiting for an answer. Despite being a possitively chill guy most of the time, he somehow managed to look threatening.

Hesitatingly, he admitted, “I don’t know.”

He couldn’t say anymore than that. He wasn’t suddenly going to histerically told everything to Ganke, _especially_ to Ganke, how horrible it was when the world worked out without him. How terrifying. How it made him feel like nobody. How it managed to make him actually _feel_ invisible.

(When he decided to go home before coming here, his parents was there, looking totally at ease, and Miles didn’t know why the peaceful sight made him feel breathless. ( _Am I not supposed to be here-_ )( _I should leave_ )( _Go, disappear, Miles Morales_ ))

“Miles?”

Miles snapped out. Ganke stared at him. “You know what? You should get some rest. I’ll try look it up.”

Miles did as he was told. He didn’t saying anything as he was afraid if he opened his mouth, he’d show his weakness. He dreamed of peaceful Brooklyn. The same Brooklyn that he had saved so many times. But, in his dream, he didn’t exist. _He wasn’t there_.

(He woke up panting, and might have screamed a little. _Thank, God_ , Ganke was a heavy sleeper.)

 

.

.

 

(The seventh time, this time actually going on for two days, Miles started to feel very afraid.)

 

.

.

 

“You’re okay, kid?” the elderly man asked, concerned.

And wow, Miles must have been a terrible superhero if even people he was supposed to help could tell how out of it he was. Spider-Man was supposed to make them feel safe right? Well, Miles couldn’t do that if his power going out of control made them worried.

“Don’t worry,” Miles said. He couldn’t say anything more. He felt like if he said things like _I got everything under control_ and _Everything has been perfectly fine,_ this man could tell the lies right away. This man just had that kind aura, the shooting kind, similiar to Aunt May and his mother.

“There are rumours that you can’t control your power,” the tone was probably mean to sound concerned. Nonetheless, his words almost made Miles going into another panick attack.

He collected himself and with the calmest sound he could utter at the moment, he asked, “There are rumours like that?”

He probably didn’t sound as calm as he wanted, but right now, it was the least of his concern, as his mind suddenly spiralled down-

( _Wow, Miles, you have screwed up. Look at you._ _What kind of superhero are you?_ )

“Kid!” The man suddenly shouted.

It sent another warning to his head.

He ran away.

When he arrived at his home, both his mother and father didn’t notice his presence.

He didn’t even have to look down to see that he had unwillingly turned invisible. Again.

 

 

 

.

.

 

 

( _Disappear, Miles Morales._ )

 

 

.

.

 

“Ganke,” Miles said, frowning at his best friend. “What are you doing?”

“Locking you up,” Ganke answered, as casual as people talking about weather.

 _What is this_ , Miles thought. _Has he finally gone insane like Osborn_.

He didn’t feel any malicious intent, though, so he just sat down on his bed. He was confused, sure, but he decided to just quietly took it in stride. He remembered why Ganke got along so well with him. They both were insane. Not Osborn’s kind of insane, but the strange kind. Miles had way too-creative ideas (getting zero so he could get out of the damn school) and Ganke was the kind of person who would just shrug at the face abnormality, well, except, perhaps, that one time when Miles and spider-people sneaking to his room, but to be fair, anyone who had a normal life would have screamed at that point.

(“Oh, I thought it was all a dream,” Ganke said, then continued his activity as if Miles hadn’t just shared the secret of multiverse. He got excited about a lot of things, he was a nerd, that was for sure, but he treated it like it was his normal everyday life. With him, Miles felt almost normal.)

“I get professional help,” Ganke said.

Miles immediately got up. “What?”

“Look, you have to stop disappearing like that.”

“I can handle it,” he said stiffly.

“You’re not allowed to leave until she came here.”

“You’re talking about Aunt May,” Miles realized, totally horrified. “But I have classes!”

“You’ll leave your classes as soon as you detect danger, anyway.”

Miles had never felt so cornered in his entire life. Well, okay, that was a lie. He had way more experience about being cornered at this point, but-

(He gasped, his body wouldn’t move the way it wanted to. His life flashed before his eyes. Miles calmed down his breathing, despite the alaming bell in his head. This was without a doubt, a life-and-death situation.

The villain was beaten up as well, but the dude was far in better shape, gloating about his plan that would cost people’s live. “You can’t stop me.”

Miles coughed blood. He thought about how this was hardly the worst time he almost walked toward death.)

Miles contemplated about webbing his friend and breaking down the door if he had to.

But he knew Ganke. And Ganke knew him. The lock was definitely designed to lock him up.

 

 

.

.

 

 

Aunt May actually sneaked to his room, using complicated device that had traces of Doc Ock’s design. Miles didn’t know what to do with the last bit of information. Ganke left them alone. He opened the lock on the window and the door as if he knew that Miles wouldn’t dare to bolt out of his room now that Aunt May was there.

“I am-” And just like the elderly man he encountered months before, Miles knew he couldn’t finish the sentence. In front of Aunt May’s warm eyes, he ended up admitting, “-not fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I don’t know what’s happening.”

Aunt May shook her head. “You actually do. You just don’t realize it yet.”

“Do I?”

Aunt May smiled, the kind of smile that Grandparents had, the knowing smile that made you felt like five-years old again.

“This power responds to your feeling, Miles.”

“You know what’s going on, don’t you?” Half-begged, Miles asked, “Why don’t you just tell me?”

“It will be pointless if you don’t figure it out yourself.”

He’d been trying to figure out things. He tried to figure out how to hide his not-so-legal activity from his parents, how the whole superhero things worked (apparently, there was more to it than saving the days), how he could save more people, how to not get killed, how to get stronger, how to not be a _failure_.

At some point, these hows turned to whys. _Why can’t I be a good superhero?_

That one particular question still stuck to his head like a glue even now.

 _Oh_ , he came to a sudden realization then. Aunt May was right. He had known it all along.

(And the voice was still there too ( _Disappear, Miles_ ))

“I just...” He hesitated. “I can’t be as good as Peter.”

“But you’re not Peter, you’re Miles Morales.”

“Has he...” He took a deep breath. “Has he ever, you know...”

“He wanted to run away once. It costed him his power. After all the power always responds to its owner’s feeling,” Aunt May said. She didn’t say it like it was a weakness. “Peter is not perfect, Miles.”

She said it like it was natural for the sun to shine. It wasn’t stated as a opinion, just a simple fact.

Miles remembered it too. It had been all over the news, and so heartbreaking too. To this day, it still  instilled fear on people that Spider-Man might disappear one day, no more flash of red and blue in the city.

“But hear me out. I have a theory,” he stopped. He had never shared this to anyone. Heck, none of the spider-people knew about it, even though they were the only ones in the world(s) who understood. More like, it was precisely why he made extra sure they never found out.

They understood his feeling. And they would deny it to his face.

The problem was, Miles didn’t need denial. He wasn’t sure what he needed.

Aunt May crossed her leg, not saying anything, her face never reveal what was on her mind. Miles didn’t think he would ever figure out how her brain worked.

“The Peter Parker of this world,” he began. Aunt May’s face was still unreadable. “He was killed not long after he met me. What if there’s only one Spider-Man for one universe? If I die, will someone better for the job appear and-and-“

The words _replace me_  didn’t want to come out.

His throat felt sore. Man, this was embrassing. This was exactly why he didn’t want to talk with Aunt May.

“I don’t know much about Multiverse, but I am sure that’s not how it works,” Aunt May said. “You’re not replacing anyone and no one’s going to replace you.”

“You make it sound so reassuring,” Miles pondered.

Aunt May smiled. “You’ll figure it out.”

“Take a leap of faith, right?” he forced a smile.

“That’s right. I think this is something that Spider-people share.”

“What? Having some kind of mental issue?” He cringed as he said it.

“That and eventually solve it when the time comes.”

She spoke it with so much conviction Miles wanted to believe her.

He did believed her.

(It was a leap of faith. The same way he jumped from a skyscraper even though it might kill him. But, hey, last time, it had perfectly worked, right?)

 

 

.

.

 

A month after that, he turned invisible for almost an entire week.

He still had no idea how to stop.

Peter had somehow regained his power. Miles just had to take a better control of his power.

 _The power always responded to its owner feeling_ , Aunt May had said.

Miles felt bitter.

 

 

.

.

 

 

“Thank you for saving my life, Spider-Man,” the girl stated as she looked at the camera. There was a hint of desperation in her eyes which Miles didn’t understand. She was trying to convey something. He didn’t know what. Then, she firmly continued, “Please don’t disappear.”

Aunt May’s words suddenly came back to him.

_He wanted to run away once. It costed him his power._

Miles stopped focusing on his cereal. “What is this girl saying?”

“Is it not obvious enough?” His mother piped in. “She doesn’t want Spider-Man to disappear.”

“I know that. I mean, the new Spider-Man is not as good as Peter Parker if you ask me. She should have wished for a better Spider-Man.”

At this point, her mother stopped eating too. She looked at him in the eyes and said, “You’re the only one who think like that.”

_After all, the power always responded to its owner feeling._

Miles finally figured it out.

 

 

.

.

 

 

( _Take a leap of faith._

_Even though it means jumping from a skyscraper_.)

**Author's Note:**

> I have knowledge of the comic books except for what I've seen in tumblr and pinterest and it doesn't say much.
> 
> EDIT: I am sorry guys, I was going to make a drabbles, but i lost my motivation to continue this, so i cut this into a one-shot. truly sorry. I made a few editing too.


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